Retail Details: The Dollars & Scents of Giving a Store an Aroma

Unpacking the power of scent in retail

The many scent vials found at the Scentarium. Photo: Kaitlyn Flannagan for Commercial Observer

Back in the day, “fragrance branding” or “scent branding” started in casinos and hotels as a way to combat the smell of cigarettes and cigars that was more or less everywhere, according to Scenterprises’ Sue Phillips. But while smoking has certainly gotten less ubiquitous over the years, designing a scent for a hotel or a retail space has gone the opposite way.